Foldable lantern



Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,206

K. K. FRIEDRICH FOLDABLE LANTERN Filed March l 1927 Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

umrso srArss PAT ENT OFFICE. I a

KURT KARL FRIEDRICH, "0F ANNA ERG, GERMANY.

' FOLDABLE LANTERN.

Applicationfiled March 19, 1927, Serial No. 176,693,.and in Germany November 26, 1926.

My invention refers to a foldable or collapsible illumination lantern of the kind disclosed in the specification of my United States Patent No. 1,620,640, dated March 15, 1927, which consists of several rows of foldable pyramids, preferably made of paper, tissue or the like, which are foldably joined by their adjoining edges and, when unfolded,

assume the form of a star with many rays The present invention has for its object to improve this type of foldable lantern n such manner that the folding and unfolding can be carried through more easily and in less time. 7 r

In lanterns of this kind it isimportant that they can be folded for transport in such manner as to form a flat shapewhich can be mailed in a cardboard envelop or the like, and on being withdrawn from the envelop can be unfolded easily and quickly.

It is a further object of my invention to reinforce the lantern structure so as to render it more resistive against mechanical stress. 7

To this end the pyramids forming the rays of the star-shaped lantern are mounted on a number of bracing and supporting members, each having the form of one half of a polygon, these members being hinged together at their free ends so that they can be folded down upon one another, While on the other hand, when turned about their hinge points, they can be unfolded to assume the form of a polygonal body. The pyramids forming the rays of the starare attached to the sides of adjoining bracing members and are unfolded into position, when these bracing members are turned about their hinge points.

In the drawings aiiixed to this specification and forming part thereof a collapsible lantern embodying my invention is illustrateddiagrammatically by way of example.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective View showing the lantern in unfolded condition.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the folded lantern.

Fi 3 is a front elevation showing the lantern partly unfolded.

Fig. 4- is a cross section on the line-44 in Fig. 5 showing part of the bracing and supporting members in unfolded condition and Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing all these bracing members in almost unfolded condition;

shownin the drawing and more particularly in Figs. 2-5, the pyramids form 7 mg the rays of the star are supported by seven bracing members 0 0 0 ,10, 0', c", 0 each member having the form of one half of a hexagon. All the seven members are hinged together at their free ends, f ori in stance by means of strips of fabric m and the two outer members 0 and 0 have triangular handles 0?, d fixed to them. If the members are gripped by the two handles CZ, d, and if these handles are now rocked about the hinge points of the members as .shown by the arrows in Fig. 5, the bracing members 0 and 0 can be applied against one another and the unfolded member-snow define the sides of a body which can be described as being composed of a hexagonal QJI prism, each end face of which is surmounted by a six-sided pyramid.

The sides of each pair of adjoining memhere are connected by a foldable square pyramid and two foldable triangular pyra} mids, the square pyramid a and. two triangular pyramids Z), when the lantern is unfolded, forming the middle circle of rays, covering the quadrangular, faces of the hexagonal prism, while the triangular pyramids are mounted on the faces of the two sixsided pyramids surmountlng the said prism. The square as well as the triangular pyramids are foldable in a well knownmanner I and the foldable opposite sides of the square pyramids was well as the foldable sides of the triangular pyramids b are free and not connected at their bases, each pyramid being fixed to the bracing member only at two of its edges. Foldable sidesofsquare pyramids a are shown for instance at n and thefoldable side of a triangular pyramid b at 0 in Fig. 1. Obviously the folding and unfolding of the lantern is exceedingly simple and easy. The lantern is shipped in the folded state shown in Fig. 2 with the handles d, d applied against the sides of the outer square pyramids a. In order to unfold the lantern these two handles are merely rocked about the hinge points 472, as shown in Fig. 5 and their ends are connected by a string 6 (Fig. 1) whereby the, lantern can be suspended.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of llil construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled inthe art.

I claim 1. A foldable illumination lantern comprising a plurality of bracing members, each having the form of one half of a polygon, said members being hinged together at their free ends and the sides of each pairof ad-' joining members being connected by foldable pyramids;

A foldable illumination lantern comprising seven bracing members each having the form of one half of a hexagon, said members being hinged together at their free ends and the sides of each pair of adjoining members being connected by a foldable square pyramid and two foldable triangular pyramids.

In testnnony whereof I affix my signature.

KURT KARL FRIEDRICH. 

